By PHRC Admin Interstitial Cystitis/ Painful Bladder Syndrome is a treatable pelvic pain syndrome affecting roughly 12 million people in the United States alone. If it affects so many, what are the causes? We’re glad you asked! There’s many! Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Multiple studies conducted in the US and abroad show that up to 92% of people with …
Symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis/ Painful Bladder Syndrome
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome (IC/PBS) is considered a chronic overlapping pain condition (COPC) and it is common, affecting up to 12 million people in the United States alone. The good news is – it’s treatable! Symptoms of IC/PBS can include, but are not limited too: Urinary urgency, frequency, and …
September Marks Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month
By Emily Tran, PHRC Westlake Village September marks Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, an important time to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and preventive measures for several types of gynecologic cancers. Gynecologic cancers refer to several different types of cancer that affect women’s reproductive organs, including cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulvar cancer. While these cancers …
Success Story: From Birth Prep to Birth Success at PHRC
By Molly Bachmann, DPT, PHRC San Francisco Suzy came to Pelvic Floor PT during her second pregnancy in hopes of addressing some recent heaviness she had felt in her vagina. She also complained of urinating every hour and waking up two to three times a night to urinate. She hoped to prepare her body for birth and postpartum as …
Trauma-Informed Care Approaches for a Pelvic Floor PT
By admin According to the Center for Health Care Strategies, “a trauma-informed approach to care acknowledges that health care organizations and care teams need to have a complete picture of a patient’s life situation — past and present — in order to provide effective health care services with a healing orientation.” In the image we have listed a few …
The Jaw and Foot: Connections to the Pelvic Floor
Did you know that your foot can affect your pelvic floor? Foot and ankle positioning has an effect on the pelvic floor by influencing changes in muscle activation up the legs ultimately resulting in changes with pelvic tilt positioning. There are biomechanical changes from the ground up. The connection in brain mapping of motor and sensation- the genitals and …
Fusobacterium and Endometriosis: New Insights or Media Frenzy?
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas The recent study titled “Fusobacterium infection facilitates the development of endometriosis through the phenotypic transition of endometrial fibroblasts” by Muraoka et al. has generated significant attention and frenzy in the media. The media coverage of this article has been intense, with headlines highlighting the potential breakthrough in understanding the pathogenesis of endometriosis, …
Dyspareunia: Symptoms and Associated Conditions
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles What is dyspareunia? A high number of people with a vagina suffer from painful versus pleasurable sex, including before, during or after sexual encounters. Superficial dyspareunia refers to pain at the opening of the vagina, whereas deep dyspareunia refers to feelings like something is being ‘hot’ or painful, deeper inside. …
Biomechanical Evaluation for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction & PF Functions
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles To start, there are various functions we can thank our pelvic floor, but let’s get into the MAIN functions: Part of core muscles The pelvic floor supports your core muscles: transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, and the external oblique muscles. The PFM tends to act reflexively when we’re using our core …
June is Men’s Health Awareness Month
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack June is Men’s Health Awareness Month and it’s an important reminder of the need to prioritize preventative care and wellness for all. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, men are more likely to experience serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, diabetes, suicide, substance abuse …
What to Expect at a Prepartum/Postpartum Evaluation
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles During prepartum/postpartum evaluations, a physical therapist will take an extensive medical history. Following the history, the PT will perform a thorough external and internal musculoskeletal exam. Your evaluation should include: Musculoskeletal: An assessment of structure, muscles, tissue, joints and manual evaluation of the pelvic floor muscles. We can identify problematic …
Male Pelvic Health: Erectile Dysfunction Causes & Treatments
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the leading cause of sexual dysfunction in men affecting one in five men. It is defined as the inability to achieve & maintain an erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse. There are several causes for ED. Vasculogenic, or due to an issue with blood supply, is the …
It’s National Men’s Health Week!
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles National Men’s Health Week is held each year from June 8-14, and it is a time to raise awareness about the health of men and boys. This year’s theme focuses on the importance of preventive care, early detection, and treatment of medical conditions. Men tend to avoid doctor visits, with …
A Kenyan Pelvic Health Physical Therapy School Scholarship
By Elizabeth Akincilar, MSPT, Cofounder, PHRC Merrimack The Jackson Clinics Foundation was formed in 2012 to fund educational efforts in East Africa. To date the foundation has sent over 100 faculty members from their clinics and from around the country to teach in east and central Africa. Some of the best and brightest physical therapists in the United States have …
Common Prepartum Symptoms and Their Treatments
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles If you are expecting, plan to be in the future or know someone that is, here are some common Prepartum symptoms! Low back pain- Foot and back pain are due to hormonal and musculoskeletal changes. Studies have shown that 40% to 60% of women will experience back pain during pregnancy and …
Hormonal Prepartum Changes and Postpartum Complaints
By Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles Hormones play a vital role in day-to-day function. They allow for the organs to communicate with each other so that we can filter toxic waste, grow muscle, sleep well . . . . and even grow a human! Let’s take a look at what happens during pregnancy: Estrogen goes up, elevating …
Navigating Mental Health: Strategies for Managing Your Mental Well-Being
By Emily Tran, PHRC Admin, Westlake Village Pelvic pain can be a source of significant stress and anxiety for individuals. Living with chronic pelvic pain can often lead to feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and even depression. It’s important to recognize the impact pelvic pain can have on mental health. Here are a few ways mental health can affect pelvic …
Tight Lipped: You’re Not Alone; Patient-Led Communities
By Tight Lipped, guest blogger. “My doctor in college told me that my partner simply ‘didn’t know what he was doing’, and that’s why it felt like his penis was hitting a wall inside me.” “When I saw a doctor for my vaginal pain, he told me to use a cucumber to stretch out my vagina.” “So many doctors …
Obturator Internus: Anatomy, Dysfunction and Symptoms
By Stephanie A. Prendergast, DPT, MPT, Cofounder, PHRC Los Angeles The Obturator Internus (OI) muscle is an external rotator and an abductor of the hip. It is also a pelvic floor muscle, with half of the muscle belly sitting right next to our Levator Ani muscles. The muscle also forms part of Alcokc’s Canal, which houses the perineal branch of …
Success Story: Constipation and Urinary Retention Resolved
By: Melinda Fontaine, DPT, PHRC Walnut Creek Darnell took a trip to Europe a few months ago with his spouse. They had planned a wonderful vacation, but what they didn’t plan for was Darnell not being able to urinate or have a bowel movement (BM) for nine days! He took magnesium citrate which helped him produce partial BMs. When …
March is Endometriosis Month; Current News and Updates
By Jandra Mueller, DPT, MS, PHRC Encinitas March is the month where we get to talk about all things Endometriosis. Endometriosis (‘endo’) is an estrogen mediated, inflammatory disease characterized by endometrial-like tissue found outside of the uterus. Most commonly it is found in the abdominal and pelvic cavity, but can be found elsewhere in the body as well. Endo …